A Bath that Later Reveals
by Suou-Akaika-Akemi
Summary: late night akuma fight ends up with lb and cn being bloody and muddy. well, a shower won't hurt before going to bed, right? the only thing is that they take the shower in their secret apartment, which later leads to a reveal.


They had been on their usual night patrol and they were about to say their goodbies and leave to sleep at 1 am, when a loud crash and a choir of screams made them turn around, sighing tiredly, ready to fight the akuma. They evaded the horde of escaping people as they neared the place where the akuma attacked.

"I am the night's emperess!" A pale bluish-skinned, black-haired woman bellowed as she hipnotised people only to drink a bit of their blood and make them faint. "The Dark Vampire!"

"Really now? Do you want to suck our blood?" Chat inquired quirking a brow. Dark Vampire laughed.

"Yes indeed. I drink my hipnotised victims' blood to give my precious mate his powers," she smirked as a tall brownish figure rose behind her. "I present you, Tochigami!" She stepped aside and waved towards the tall, earth-skinned male with milky white eyes.

"Tochiwhat?" Ladybug frowned.

"To-chi-ga-mi," Chat helpfully spelleld. "Hey, isn't that the Japanese equivalent for 'Landgod?'" Chat wondered. "You guys watched Kamisama Hajimemashita?" Ladybug and Dark Vampire blinked while Tochigami shook his head.

"No. I am merely Japanese. That's all. Animes are derogating for me," the earthly figure spoke. "But chit chats apart, Tenkoumushi and Kuroneko. Give us your talismans." He didn't even give them the chance to reply as he shot a bolt of mud and dirt. The two heroes rolled out of way avoiding the blast.

"What did he call us?" Ladybug wondered looking at the two akumatised victims.

"Tenkoumushi, which means Ladybug and Kuroneko which means Black Cat - Chat Noir in Japanese," Chat explained avoiding another blast thanks to his partner who shielded them with her yo-yo.

"And how do you know that?" The spotted heroine asked.

"I watch anime, duh," Chat Noir merely replied with a dorky grin.

"Alright. Let's fight," Ladybug murmured with a nod. They attacked head on, Chat charging with his baton and Ladybug with her yo-yo. The only problem was that they didn't know where the akumas were. Dark Vampire bared her fangs and claws, trying to injure the cat hero whilst the spotted heroine fought Tochigami and his mudblasts.

"Tenkoumushi, please give me your miraculous," the earth man emotionlessly asked, shooting out two blasts. Ladybug managed to dodge one, but the other blast hit her on her side, making her slide back with such force she slammed into a wall and got covered in mud. She looked up only to see Chat being cornered and Tochigami advancing on her.

"Come on, little cat, let me drink your blood," the woman sing sang slashing out, but Chat defended and kicked her in the shin. What he didn't expect was that she fell forward and flattened him to the floor.

"Oh, aren't I in a squishy situation?" Chat groaned out, trying to push the woman off of him (damn she was heavy), but she merely grinned and was ready to bite his neck, but his ever faithful (now muddy) partner who bonked the vampire akuma in the face with her yo-yo making Chat earn a clawmark through his cheek. Using the momentum Chat managed to kick Dark Vampire off and knock her out with a hard hit of his baton, only to see Ladybug being punched in the eye, then Tochigami raised his hand and formed a blast of dirt with a sharp end, ready to pierce Ladybug.

"Cataclysm!" Chat roared and sprang in front of Ladybug in the nick of the time to destroy the blast, spraying mud everywhere on them.

"You might have knocked my wife out, but I'm here and even if you knock me out you won't find the akumas," Tochigami said and recieved to hard hits in the head by a yo-yo and a baton. And a vicious battle ensured with Dark Vampire joining after coming to her senses. The heroes even had to hide and retransform (separately of course, identities still secret and all) a few times, and they were wearing out, and so were the akumatised victims. With their last resort, the two heroes decided to knock them into next week. Five consequtive hard hits later Tochigami and Dark Vampire was left unmoving. Chat for sake of safety hit Dark Vampire hard in the head again, to make sure she remained fainted. Both heroes were covered in mud, blood and bruises since they were hurled around on more than one occasion. Chat had a clawmark on his left cheekbone, a long one on his thigh, a bruise on his left jaw and others on his whole body while Ladybug had a black-eye on her right eye, a claw mark on her collarbone and on her hipbone, a huge bleeding rash on her side and other bruises on her body, similar to Chat.

"Now we need your Lucky Charm m'Lady," the cat hero said panting lightly. "And I only have four minutes left." In fact he had used the Cataclysm a minute or so ago on a massive tree branch that was wielded by Dark Vampire.

"I know, here it comes," Ladybug winced and Chat frowned. Before he could comment though, she yelled Lucky Charm and a smaller metal detector appeared.

"Going treasure hunting, captain?" Chat jokingly inquired.

"Aye, aye mate," the heroine said drily. She placed and moved the metal detector over the victims' bodies and found them in a chip under their skin. Chat had to cut their skin open with his claws to get the chips out. Fortunately it wasn't embedded too deeply and the wounds got healed after a Miraculous Ladybug yell. The two muddy and bloody and bruised heroes scambered away and hid in an alleyway back to back, panting.

"Chat, can we take a shower at the apartment before going home?" Ladybug inquired detransforming and quickly feeding a tired Tikki. "If I go home my parents will hear me showering."

"Yeah, definitely," Chat agreed. He detransformed too and thrusted a roll of cheese into Plagg's hand who gobbled it up. "My father is sleeping in the room next to me as a change and he will hear me too."

"Isn't it nice though, that he tried to make a change?" Marinette asked reaching back with a hand and taking ahold of Chat's warm and big smooth hand. Adrien's breath hitched and threaded their fingers. Her hand was small, skin soft.

"Yeah, it is nice. But I wish we even had some father son moment," he sighed. He had told Ladybug about his bumpy relatiomship with his father ever since his mother's death and she always tried to be optimist and supportive.

"Maybe there will be some bonding time soon," she said reassuringly. Adrien hummed and squeezed his ever faithful partner's hand. Transforming back they leapt to their secret apartment they bought not too long ago. It was a small and neat apartment they decided they needed. It has been over a year since they started being superheroes and they were left bruised multiple times and in need of place to patch themselves up privately. Hence they (mainly Chat due to him being loaded with money he didn't need) bought the apartment. Of course it was a bit awkward considering they still kept their identites secret from each other. Entering the small place through a special built in locked hatch from the roof (Ladybug had been smart enough to choose the highest apartment in the apartment complex) with the keys, they hastily made it to the kitchen and ate a few bites of the food they kept in the fridge. The house was small (as many times mentioned) but modern. It had a bedroom with a double bed where they would occasionally nap and two cupboards where they kept a batch of clothes just in case (of course they kept the clothes in secret too, in case they would recognise them), a bathroom, that was large in comparison to the whole house, but still small, with a bathtub, a toilet, a bidè and a small washing machine. A livingroom that was the biggest room, it had a nice Samsung smart TV, a comfortable leather sofa, and a small dining table. The kitchen was the smallest place with an electric fireplace, an oven, a fridge and a sink. Of course it had a cupboard with silverwares and different cooking utensils and food.

"I'm going to take a shower first," Ladybug announced eating the remnants of the pizza they had ordered yesterday.

"Absolutely not! Women take a long time in the bathroom and it's 4 am!" Chat retorted munching a messily made sandwich. "I'm going first!"

"What? No! I'm going first. I have school tomorrow!"

"So do I!"

"Then what do you suggest?" Ladybug huffed. Chat pondered on it for a while then smiled brightly, swishing his belt-tale. Ladybug was rendered weary just by seeing that smile.

"How about we shower together? Back to back of course," he hastily added. Ladybug looked at him wide eyed, with an incredioulous look. Then, considering her options she heavily sighed.

"All right, but no peeping," she sternly said and Chat looked at her horrified.

"Do I seem like a person who peeps?! M'Lady you wound me!" He whined. Ladybug facepalmed.

"You do seem like a peeping person. Anyway I know you won't peep, kitty, I trust you," the heroine chuckled. "Now, let's waste no more time."

"Did you seem eager?" Chat smirked mischeviously earning a punch from Ladybug, making him wince. "That was a bruise, Bugaboo!"

"You deserved it. By the way I'm eager to go to sleep," she said covering the mirror with one of the extra towels so they could avoid seeing each other's reflexion. Once they were back to back, they detransformed and hid their clothes so the other wouldn't recognise them. Shuffling into the tub, stark naked was a tid bit awkward, as they kept their backs to each other and on a few occasions their rears brushed against each other. No need to say Plagg was extremely enjoying the situation and cackling as the two blushing red teens entered the tub. Tikki too couldn't help but chuckle at the palpable awkwardness. The two kwamis sat on the washing machine and silently conversed while the teens showered. Meanwhile Adrien and Marinette silently bathed, passing the soap and and the shower head. Needless to say it was a hasty and quiet shower. They kept their backs pressed to each other, strangely drawing comfort from eachother's presence despite the awkward situation. In the meantime, Plagg cheated a bit and took a look at Tikki's chosen and he had to stiffle a laugh. He dragged Tikki in front of Adrien and she too had to press her paws to her mouth in order not to laugh out. Especially seeing their questioning looks. They hastily flew out of the bathroom and burst out in silent giggles in the other end of the house so they wouldn't be heard.

"Ladybug, can you pass me the shampoo?" Adrien asked and Marinette handed him the needed item.

"I need the hair conditioner and the comb," Marinette said and in a second she had the items in her hands. They rinsed themselves clean, hissing and

wincing as the soap stung their cuts and bruises.

"How are you going to cover your black eye and the clawmarks?" Adrien suddenly inquired taking the shower head from Marinette (which was a black matte colour, so there would be no reflexions).

"Maybe with some make-up. Though I doubt I'll have time for that. I'll lie that a stray cat entered the house and it was agressive and I fell hitting myself in the eye." Adrien felt her shrug behind his back and sighed.

"Mind if I use your lie too? I have a more visible clawmark on my face while yours is on your collarbone," he said.

"Sure. I might leave out the cat and say I scratched myself. Who knows," she shrugged again, tiredly leaning a bit on her partner. Adrien stiffened a bit at the feeling of her soft though strong body pressing up to him.

"L-Ladybug?"

"Hm?"

"Close your eyes please," Adrien asked. Marinette wondered why but complied.

"Closed," she confirmed. Adrien closed his eyes too and turned around and hugged her tightly, burrying his face into the crook of her neck. Marinette froze but soon relaxed and turned in the embrace and hugged back. The hug was extremely intimate with both of them being naked and with closed eyes their other senses heightened and every bump and curve of the other's body was accentuated. Her soft skin and soft curves, under which strong muscles could be found and his hard chisled marble-like body with smooth and warm skin. Not to mention their pubic area. It was a complete, though sweet torture for little detail could be felt and Adrien tightened the hug, basking in her presence. He kissed her neck and spoke.

"M'Lady, you don't even know how much you affect me. " His voice was quiet, full with emotion.

"Chat..." Marinette sighed and inexplicably she nuzzled her face deeper into Chat's chest. The boy took in a deep breath, memorising the scent of her skin, her hair. "I don't even know how to reply to that..." she quietly said trying to desentangle.

"There's nothing to say, m'Lady, just let me hug you a little more," he whispered lightly kissing her neck again. Marinette gently wrapped her arms around his waist and let her partner cling onto her. The embrace was desperate and needy and Marinette was relieved to sense no sexual desire from Chat, only need of emotional support. She wouldn't know how to react if an erection poked her, despite knowing Chat wouldn't do amything without her consent. Sighing, Chat slowly let her go, both of them still with closed eyes. At this point the kwamis came back, still giggling, but calmer nonetheless.

"Let's go home," he sighed again, turning around and Marinette turned around too. They dried off and put on the pajamas they had there - still keeping their back to each other and transformed back.

"I feel way better now that I'm clean," Ladybug yawned stretching. Chat instinctively hugged her from the front, so she was basically arching into him. "Chat?"

"You're warm," he simply said, eyes closed.

"Look, it's 5 am, so can you let me go? I'd like to sleep a bit before school," Ladybug dedpanned, though hugged back briefly.

"Fine," Chat wined and let go. With a swift goodbye, they excited the apartment amd leapt back to their owm home. Needless to say they practically fell into their beds and fell asleep instantly. The next morning, with only an hour and a half of sleep Adrien managed to arrive on time in school after lying to Nathalie about the non existent stray cat. Needless to say his father was not too delighted at the bruises, but financally made sure his son had the best treatment in order to avoid scars. At school he was instantly swarmed by the students on what happened as he didn't quite conceal his injuries or the dark circles under his eyes due to the small time he had in the morning.

"Dude! What the hell happened to you?!" Nino exclaimed.

"Oh my God, wait till Mari sees this!" Alya muttered silently.

"Well, I barely slept a wink and an agressive stray cat found me during my midnight stroll," Adrien sheepishly laughed. "And I fell quite a few times too." Nino and Alya facepalmed, but let it slide. They were about to enter the school when in the last moment Marinette ran up to them out of breath in a similar lack of sleep induced delirium state Adrien was in. She too had bruises and clawmarks on her body and heavy dark circles under her eyes.

"S-sorry guys!" She panted. "I barely slept a wink and an agressive stray cat found me during my midnight stroll!" She cought her breath and straightened up, not noticing the quizzical look of Nino and Alya and the understanding nod from Adrien.

"And she fell quite a few times too," the model added and Marinette nodded.

"And hit myself in the eye," Marinette finished.

"Just like Adrien, huh?" Nino inquired with a quirked brow. Marinette looked at Adrien then shrugged and vigoroisly nodded.

"Were you two strolling together by any chance?!" Alya dedpanned astoundedly.

"Umm, no?" Adrien muttered pursing his lips.

"No, absolutely no," Marinette replied with smilar certainty.

"I am so going to investigate what happened to you two," Alya exasperedly seethed out and they entered the lyceé as lesson was about to start. As they sat in their seats and Mme Bustier explained stuff, Adrien's mind started waking up and his gears started turning. Marinette barely slept a wink, just like he did. She was covered in cuts and bruises like he was. And she used the excuse Ladybug had said she would use. More importantly, she had the wounds exactly where Ladybug had. To top it off, her overall physical appearance (body, hair, eyes - even her character) was pretty much similar to Ladybug's. Meaning...

"Holy shit!" He snapped his palms on the desk, jumping onto his feet in tandem with Marinette, who had been having similar thoughts in her head, in the middle of the class. Marinette was blushing from head to toe as Adrien turned towards her. Mme Bustier was about to scold them, but noticed the whole class listening attentively and whispering bets between them, so she decided to watch for now. As Adrien locked eyes with Marinette, a silent conversation seemed to go down between them. Their eyes comically widened as they exclaimed at the same time.

"Your ring!/Your earrings!"

Then, the situation actually dawning on them they clamped their mouths shut with their hands. Mme Bustier hoped this was the end of the scene, but no. Adrien's and Marinette's eyes widen in horror as they suddenly blushed ripe red and started squirming and jumping on their feet, stiffling horrified screeches. They kept pointing at each other and emiting unidentifieable screech-like noises as only one thought went through their fogged mind: I freaking baTHED with him/her and he/she is freaking Chat Noir/Ladybug AND WE WERE NAKED AND WE HUGGED NAKED OH MY GOD KILL ME NOW! Then they suddenly turned towards Mme Bustier and exclaimed:

"Madame, we absolutely need to go out and talk through something!" Not even waiting for the response they dashed out with their bags and left the school.

"What the hell was that?!" Nino asked, voicing the question everyone had running through their minds.

"I don't know, but I am so going to investigate what happened!" Alya exclaimed determinedly. While the lesson went on, Marinette was being dragged by Adrien to the nearby park, which thankfully was practically empty due to the early hours. They sat down at one of the more secluded benches and blew out a breath they were holding in.

"Okay. From the beginning and calmly," Adrien said taking a calming deep breath that did so not calm his mind.

"You, Adrien Agreste are Chat Noir. You are Chat Noir. Oh my God. You are Chat! My kitty! Good grief!" Marinette squeeked out through her hands that were still clamped on her mouth.

"To hell with being calm!" Adrien growled exasperedly pulling his hair. He was on the verge of going insane. "M'Lady we were under each other's noses! M'Lady and my Princess are the freaking same person. I can't believe it. Bugaboo - Marinette - Maribug. Aaarghh I'm going crazy over here, Maribug help out?"

"Ha ha, kitty I already went insane here," Marinette laughed a tad bit maniacally as she pulled up her knees and rocked back and forth, eyes dreamy and distant, a creepy little smile on her face. "My partner is my high school crush, the love of my life. Hey, Adricat, have I died?"

"N-no, not that I know. Or maybe I am dead too?" Adrien inquired from particularly no one. That's when Plagg burst out laughing in his bag. The kwami floated out and guffawed hysterically at the two.

"Y'know you two are hilarious!"

"Plagg!" Tikki scolded poking her head out from Marinette's purse. Still grinning Plagg joined Tikki in the purse and left the two teens in their misery.

"Okay!" Marinette took in a deep breath and puffed out her chest. Then again, she remembered something. "Oh my God I had a bath with the love of my life!" She screeched. Adrien jumped a bit at the screech, but managed to calm himself down a bit.

"W-well, I hugged the love of my life naked, so we are even," the blonde model said with an air of disbelief.

"So we are both the love of each other's life?" Marinette asked pursing her lips.

"Seems so..." Adrien shrugged, looking at Marinette. "Maribug?"

"Hm?" The girl looked up at him and instantly drowned in his emerald green eyes. How stupid she was for not noticing who he actually was. Now she saw him fully, as a whole person who is not unreachable.

"Can you love all of me? The Chat me too?" The boy asked hopefully and Marinette smiled up at him.

"Only if you can love all of me too - the Marinette me too, Adricat!" She said.

"Of course!" Adrien beamed, a joyous smile adorning his face. He too was happy that the Ladybug he loved wasn't an unreachable fantasy, but a real girl he could cherish and love. The boy leaned down and swooped Marinette into a gentle and chaste kiss that expressed all his love for the amazing girl. Needless to say that when they got back to school, the whole class interrogated them on what happened. Adrien at that moment was really grateful for Marinette's luck and resorcefulness as she instantly made up a perfect story everyone believed. To make people happier, in two weeks Ladybug and Chat Noir officially announced the fact that they were dating and gave Alya an exclusive interview.

Fin ^^


End file.
